The Devil Made Me Do It: Causative Verbs (Part IV - Adjectives and Verbs)

As children grow up, they begin to experiment with more and more complex language structures.  My four-year-old son’s language development is a great example of the scientific method.  He hears new language and forms his own hypotheses.  Then he tests these hypotheses by using this new language and finally judges the results by the reactions he gets from the adults around him and modifies his hypotheses when things don't seem right.  This process is very logical and research has found a standard order that is more or less followed by all native-speaker children.  There’s a reason why Skyler doesn’t use the past perfect.  He doesn’t need it yet and won’t for many years.

Similarly, ESL students need to adopt this same approach.  There are certain advanced structures that they just don’t need at a basic or intermediate level.  Be patient and be satisfied with what you can do rather than worrying about what you can’t do in English.

The following is an explanation of an advanced structure with causative verbs.  If you are ready for it and can learn to use it, your English will make a big leap very quickly.  If you don’t get it right away, don’t lose any sleep.  You will be ready someday.

SVOC Clauses with Make

This structure begins with a basic SVOC clause with the causative verb make.

Remember that a complement is a word that describes another word within the clause.  The most common clauses with complements are SVC clauses.

• I am sleepy.
• I feel sleepy.
• I’m getting sleepy.

In all of these sentences, the adjective sleepy is the complement.  The complement sleepy describes the feeling of the subject, I.  Complements are connected to a clause by a relatively small group of verbs called linking verbs.  In the above sentences, am (the “be” verb), feel and get are examples of linking verbs.

A more advance clause with complements is the SVOC clause.

• Warm milk makes me sleepy.

In this example, the complement sleepy is describing the feeling of the direct object me.  The warm milk is what causes this feeling.

Unlike most causative patterns, the bare infinitive (be or feel) is understood but doesn’t need to be written or said.  Very often, the adjective complement in this pattern is in the comparative form (w/ ~er or more).

• Lifting weights will make you stronger.
• Using English regularly will make you more confident.

The comparative form is used to show that something is increasing.  I am already strong, but I want to get stronger.  The speaker already has some confidence, but they need more.

Causative Verbs from Adjectives

Students will often spend lots of time, especially in vocabulary classes, studying prefixes and suffixes.  Prefixes are added at the beginning of words to change or add meaning to the original word.  For example, the prefix un~ means not.  If something is so amazing it is not believable, you can also say it is unbelievable.  The prefix re~ means again.  If you made a mistake when you did something the first time, you might have to redo it.

Suffixes, on the other hand, are added to the ends of words and are used to change parts of speech.  For example, the suffix ~able means something can be done.

• Even though there is a hole in the sleeve, I can still wear this shirt.
• Even though there is a hole in the sleeve, the shirt is still wearable.

Both of these sentences mean the same thing, but by adding ~able to the verb wear, the verb becomes and adjective.

Similarly, adjectives can be turned into causative verbs.  This change begins with simple SVOC clauses.  For example:

• I need to make my lunch hot.
• I need to heat up my lunch.

• I want to make the room cooler.
• I want to cool down the room.

In the first examples, a microwave will do the trick.  In the second, I need a fan or an air-conditioner.  In both of these examples, the advective hot and cool already have causative verb equivalents: heat and cool.  (Sometimes you get lucky and both forms are the same.)

In other cases, you have to “make” your own verbs with suffixes.  For example:

• The construction workers are making the road wider.
• The construction workers are widening the road.

• Illustrations in books can make explanations clearer.
• Illustrations in books can clarify explanations.

• You can use your computer to make digital copies of music.
• You can use your computer to digitize your music.

These three pairs of examples show the most common suffixes that can be used to make causative verbs from adjectives.  Other examples include:

• ~en -- weaken / strengthen* / worsen
• ~ify -- beautify / purify / unify
• ~ize -- modernize / maximize / publicize

(Click here for a more extensive list of causative verbs from adjectives and exercises to help you learn them.  If you can think of any that should be added to this list, please email me.)

How to Practice

Like everything else in life, practice makes perfect.  To learn to use these causative verbs, I recommend a three-step process.  Start by making a simple SVOC clause with the verb make.

• Planting flowers will make your garden more beautiful.

Next, change the adjective to its causative verb form.  In this example, beautiful becomes beautify.  Then, simply replace the verb make with the new verb.

• Planting flowers will beautify your garden.

Finally, change this new sentence to the passive voice following the basic rules.

• Your garden will be beautified by planting flowers.

Here is another example:

• This toothpaste will make your teeth whiter.
• This toothpaste will whiten your teeth.
• Your teeth will be whitened with this toothpaste.

Twenty-five years of teaching have taught me two things.  First, most students are very confused by this at first.  Second, if they spend time practicing this three-step transformation exercise, they figure it out fairly quickly.  To help you on your way, here are some online exercises.

In the immortal words of Porky Pig: B-dee-b-dee-b-dee-b-dee-b-That’s all folks!

Good luck and happy trails.

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(I really appreciate questions, comments and suggestions.  Feel free to post them in the Comments section below.  However, I don't often see them right away.  Instead, you can use the Questions and Comments link  below or join my Facebook group Mr. K's Grammar World.)

Useful Links

• Questions or Comments
• Causative Verbs Practice
• Mr. K's Grammar World (Website)
• Mr. K's Grammar World (Facebook)
• The Devil Made Me Do It: Causative Verbs (Part I)
• The Devil Made Me Do It: Causative Verbs (Part II - Other Causative Verbs)
• The Devil Made Me Do It: Causative Verbs (Part III - The Passive Voice)
• The Devil Made Me Do It: Causative Verbs (Part IV - Adjectives and Verbs)
• The Devil Made Me Do It: Causative Verbs (Part V - For the True Grammar Geek)

Adverbs and Prepositions and Conjunctions, Oh My!

(Mr. K's Grammar World :: Ask Questions :: Practice Exercises)

If you are going to understand how the human body works, you have to start with basic anatomy and kinesiology (the study of muscles and human movement). Would you go to a doctor who doesn't know what the kidneys do? Similarly, you can't learn a language (including your first language) without an understanding of grammar and how language works.

Of course everyone learns their first language and every high school student in the history of high school students (including me, I'm ashamed to say) has said the same thing. "Why do I need to learn grammar? I already know how to speak (insert your first language here)." While it is true that everyone can speak a first language and most people can read and write in that first language, not everyone can do it WELL. (Ang Kok Weng recently came up with a very good example posted on a radio station's website. See if you can find the adverb error that inspired this entry.)

When I began teaching ESL a thousand years ago, in the late-80s, I used to tell my students "Your goal should be to speak as well as native-speakers." Now, sadly I have to tell them "Your goal should be to speak better than native-speakers." I am constantly amazed and saddened by how badly native speakers abuse English, especially my fellow Americans. I won't go into detail about why I think this happened, but basically it started because of one decision. Somewhere not long after I graduated from high school in 19**, grammar stopped being taught in most Language Arts classes and when it is taught, it's taught poorly and the materials are incredibly boring and confusing.

Well, I think it is time to bring grammar back. In order to understand language, you have to understand grammar. In order to understand grammar, you have to start at the beginning: Parts of Speech. The big four (nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs) are the same in every language around the world. We all have them and they all work in basically the same way. Of course there are relatively small differences, like English and Spanish have singular and plural noun forms while most Asian languages do not. The big stuff, however, is the same. I'll write about nouns, verbs and adjectives later. Let's begin with adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions*.

Basically, all three do the same thing. They answer the questions when, where, why and how (which also includes how long, how often, etc.). For example:The children are playing outside. (where)

• The children are playing in the backyard. (where)
• Tommy is doing his homework now. (when)
• Tommy is writing his essay on his computer. (how)
• Tommy is using his sister's computer because his has a virus. (why)

The difference between adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions has NOTHING TO DO WITH MEANING. The difference is what comes AFTER the adverb, preposition or conjunction.

An adverb is a single word (and occasionally a pair of words like at last) that is not connected to anything. In the above examples, outside and now are adverbs because they are alone. (But don't worry. They aren't lonely. It's like being single in your mid-20s. You are free to go anywhere and do anything you want.)

A preposition, however, is ALWAYS connected to a noun phrase and only a noun phrase**. One way to tell the difference between an adverb and a preposition is to take the word out of the sentence and see what happens. For example:

• Suddenly, all the children jumped in.
• Suddenly, all the children jumped in the pool.

In the first example, even without in, the sentence is understandable. I would like more information, but grammatically it's ok. In the second example, though, it doesn't work. How do you jump a pool? Therefore, in the first example, in is an adverb because it's not connected to anything, but in the second example, in is a preposition because it is connected to the pool.

Finally, conjunctions are followed by entire clauses***. There must be a subject AND a verb. Look at the following examples.

• The game was cancelled because of the bad weather.
• The game was cancelled because the weather was so bad.

In the first example, because of is connect a simple noun phrase to the main clause. In the second example, because is connecting a clause (subject = weather; verb = was). Therefore, because of is a preposition and because is a conjunction.

Another, even better way to decide if a word is a preposition or a conjunction is to change the noun directly after the word to a pronoun.

• I took a shower after my brother.
• I took a shower after him.

• I took a shower after my brother finished his.
• I took a shower after he finished his.

In the first pair, my brother changes to him, which is an object pronoun. (me, you, him, her, it, us, them). My brother is the object of the preposition. Prepositions are followed by object pronouns. In the second pair, my brother changes to he, which is a subject pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) Conjunctions are followed by clauses. Clauses must have subjects. Conjunctions are followed by subject pronouns.

To summarize: If you remember the following, you will almost never mis-identify adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions again.

• adverb + Ø
• preposition + noun phrase (or an object pronoun)
• conjunction + clause (w/ a subject AND a verb)

• I have never eaten this before.
• I had never eaten that before my trip to Japan.
• I had never eaten that before I went to Japan.

In all three of these examples, before has the same meaning. However, in the first, it's an adverb because it is alone. In the second, it is a preposition because it is followed by a noun phrase and in the third, it is a conjunction because it is followed by the subject pronoun I and the verb went.

I hope this helps. Please ask any and all questions you might have if I haven't explained this well enough. (And I hope this isn't too colorful. I try to use color to highlight important points, and in this case to highlight differences, but if it's too much, let me 
know.)

(Mr. K's Grammar World :: Ask Questions :: Practice Exercises)

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*In this case, conjunctions will be limited to subordinating conjunctions like because and will not include coordinating conjunctions like and. I'll write about the differences between these two types of conjunctions later.

**Prepositions can also be followed by pronouns, which are substitutes for nouns, and some can be followed by a gerund, which is the noun form of a verb.

***Clauses that begin with subordinating conjunctions are called adverb clauses.